'Claims of chiefs being used for politics are ridiculous,' CS Matiang’i says

Speaking to the media from Nakuru on Tuesday, CS Matiang'i scoffed at the critics of the meetings with chiefs, saying the criticism is, if anything, ridiculous. 

"If I wasn't in office, I would use very strong language but I have to be responsible,"CS Matiang'i said, "Claims of chiefs being used are as ridiculous as they sound." 

According to CS Matiang'i, warning him against meeting the Chiefs is like telling the Health minister not to meet doctors. 

"So who do you want me to meet?" CS Matiang’i posed. 

"The politicians warning me against meeting chiefs and so on; can you imagine warning the health minister against meeting doctors or warning the education minister against meeting teachers?" 

According to Matiang’i, the chiefs are his colleagues whom he talks to on a daily basis to effectively oversee the National government agenda at the grassroot level. 

"My colleagues in the security sector are chiefs... in fact hardly a day passes without me receiving calls from a chief or talking to a chief or a DC or a county commissioner," he added. 

The Interior Ministry boss said meetings with chiefs did not start during the campaign season, and have been ongoing. 

"These are our colleagues, PS Kibicho and I have been meeting chiefs all along," CS Matiang'i added. 

He also spoke about Trans Nzoia county where a political contender had warned him against meeting chiefs in the region. According to the Interior CS, the concerns are unwarranted. 

“Last year, I met chiefs in Trans Nzoia and they can tell you that nothing political was discussed in those meetings," he said.

"Any National Government policy that we are pushing at the grassroots level, we work with the chiefs... war against FGM, 100 percent transition into schools ... the surging numbers of HIV and so on we are working with the chiefs," Matiangi added.